25 April, 2023

Top 10: Doha moments

Photo: Hasse Sjögren

With ten days to go until the WDL season opener in Doha, we take a look back at ten of the best Diamond League moments in the Qatari capital since 2010.

The 2023 Wanda Diamond League season will begin in just ten days time, with some of the world's biggest track and field stars heading to Qatar to launch their campaign for a place in the final and a shot at the Diamond Trophy. Faith Kipyegon, Andre De Grasse and Neeraj Chopra will all be in action at the season opener at the Qatar Sports Club.

Doha is the traditional starting point for the Diamond League season and it has delivered some of the series' most memorable moments down the years. So with ten days to go until the Seashore Group Doha Meeting, we take a look back at ten of the best from the Qatai capital.

Obiri breaks African record - 2014

Kenyan fans are often the life and soul of the part at the Qatar Sports Club, and they had plenty to cheer about in 2014 when Hellen Obiri clocked an African record of 8:20.68 in the women's 3000m. The mark was then the fastest ever by a non-Chinese athlete and Obiri is still the tenth fastest woman ever over three kilometres as a result.

Felix equals series record - 2015

With four Diamond League titles and 24 wins, US sprinter Allyson Felix is one of the most successful athletes in Diamond League history. If results are anything to go by, Doha was one of her favourite tracksand her 12th victory there came in some style in 2015. The American flew around the track in the 200m to clock 21.98, equalling Veronica Campbell-Brown's then Diamond League record.

Pichardo vs Taylor - 2015

Felix was one of three athletes to claim a Diamond League record in Doha in 2015, and the most spectacular arguably came in the men's triple jump. After Teddy Tamgho pulled out injure in the second round, his rivals Pedro Pablo Pichardo and Christian Taylor went on to deliver what was widely proclaimed as the greatest triple jump compeition ever, with both men clearing the 18-metre mark. Pichardo eventually prevailed in the thrilling head to head, claiming victory with a series record of 18.06m.

100m stardust for Bowie - 2016

US sprinter Tori Bowie may never have won the Diamond Trophy, but she has always been able to mix it with the best, picking up eight Diamond League victories between 2014 and 2017. One of the best came in Doha in 2016, when she clocked 10.80 to break the meeting record and leave a stellar field which included Campbell-Brown and Dafne Schippers trailing in her wake.

McLeod makes an entrance - 2016

It may not have been Omar McLeod's finest performance from a technical point of view, but as statements go, the Jamaican's victory on Diamond League debut in Doha in 2016 was quite something. McLeod's 13.05 was the first of three Diamond League wins that year and set the tone for his triumph at the Rio Olympics later in the summer.

Röhler roars - 2017

Six years on, Thomas Röhler's extraordinary 93.90m effort in the men's javelin in Doha in 2017 remains one of the most incredible moments in Diamond League history. The first in a flurry of monster performances from Röhler and his rivals in the men's javelin that year, the throw was so huge that it landed a nail-biting few metres in front of the cameramen at the other end of the field. It is still the Diamond League record and only two men have managed to throw further in the history of the spot.

Home heroics from Samba and Barshim - 2018

Rarely have the home fans had so much to cheer about in Doha as they did in 2018, when two of their main stars delivered jaw-dropping performances in the 400m hurdles and the high jump respectively. First, Mutaz Essa Barshim cleared the 2.40m mark for only the second time in the high jump, once again sparking hope that he could beat Javier Sotomayor's longstanding world record. Then, fellow Qatari Abderrahman Samba flew around the track to clock 47.57, his first of four Diamond League records that year.

Perkovic powers to record - 2018

Samba was not the only one to break a Diamond League record in 2018. Just a short while earlier, Sandra Perkovic had thrown a huge 71.38m to set a new series record in the women's discus. The second best throw of Perkovic's career, it was not enough to stop her losing her Diamond League title later that year and missing out on a record-equalling seventh Diamond Trophy.

Stupendous Ståhl - 2019

A year later, it was time for another Diamond League record in the discus. This time, it was Daniel Ståhl who stepped up in the men's event with an astonishing 70.56m at the Khalifa International Stadium. As well as breaking the series record, the Swedish star also became the first man ever to clear 69.50m with all six efforts in the discus.

Peters joins the 90-metre club - 2022

The tradition of history-making throws continued in 2022 as Anderson Peters first joined the 90-metre club with 90.19m, before going one better later in the competition with 93.07. The mark was a Grenadian record and propelled Peters up to fifth in the all-time list.